Whatever the industry people
are always after the next fashionable thing, the “Next Big Thing” - trends and fads are not exclusive to
the world of fashion. In the wine and
spirits industry right now, it’s all about the Gin Palace. No one is into Prosecco any more (that was so
last summer) – the “in thing” right now is artisanal G&Ts to be sipped only
from Gin Balloons (similar to a Brandy glass but with a longer stem).
I admit I’m not totally into this trend, actually I think it's a little lame. Drinking from a gin balloon is like drinking from a fish bowl - the kind of thing you did as a teenager holidaying in Magaluf. And yes, while some gins are better than others (I’ll take Martin Miller's over Gordon’s any day), the general flavour profiles can be very much the same – hints of juniper, cloves, etc. But I have come across another emerging trend, something I find very intriguing – wines of Asia and the Far East.
Chinese businessmen have long had a penchant for French wines, particularly Bordeaux. Some would argue that this is more of a status symbol than a love for the actual product. Perhaps this was the case 10 years ago but out of China’s rapidly growing middle class has emerged a growing number of wine connoisseurs - no more red wine cola cocktails, thank you. Couple this with their growing economy and you start to see the development of Chinese vineyards and wines by both national and international investors. This is also the case in India, Thailand and Japan. And let us not forget that these countries indeed do have a very long history of wine making, it is just the case that it has never been on the international wine agenda. We've been listening to those Old World wine snobs for too long!
I admit I’m not totally into this trend, actually I think it's a little lame. Drinking from a gin balloon is like drinking from a fish bowl - the kind of thing you did as a teenager holidaying in Magaluf. And yes, while some gins are better than others (I’ll take Martin Miller's over Gordon’s any day), the general flavour profiles can be very much the same – hints of juniper, cloves, etc. But I have come across another emerging trend, something I find very intriguing – wines of Asia and the Far East.
Chinese businessmen have long had a penchant for French wines, particularly Bordeaux. Some would argue that this is more of a status symbol than a love for the actual product. Perhaps this was the case 10 years ago but out of China’s rapidly growing middle class has emerged a growing number of wine connoisseurs - no more red wine cola cocktails, thank you. Couple this with their growing economy and you start to see the development of Chinese vineyards and wines by both national and international investors. This is also the case in India, Thailand and Japan. And let us not forget that these countries indeed do have a very long history of wine making, it is just the case that it has never been on the international wine agenda. We've been listening to those Old World wine snobs for too long!
I personally find this exciting stuff – winemakers can experiment with the whole wine making technique and who knows what can happen...what crazy, mind-blowing stuff they can create? Also, I like to experience new and exciting tastes, take my taste buds beyond what they are used to. But I know some of my friends find the whole idea a little absurd. Who would want to drink Thai or Indian wine? Why would you fearlessly try something, which may be revolting (i.e. not suited for the "educated" western palate)? We have so many great wines from France, Italy, and Spain – what is the appeal? I understand their concerns, it is clear that the majority of these wines are destined for the domestic market for the time being but I see no harm in giving them a try.
It is possible to find one or
two Indian or Chinese wines in supermarkets and wine shops here in the UK so I thought why not. Let's see what this stuff is like. The Indian white wine was a Chenin
Blanc by Sula in Nashik (north east of Mumbai) and was what I can only describe
as an assault on the senses. Perhaps I
should have been as suspicious as my friends!! I got some "unusual" notes on the nose – antiseptic
mixed with hints of tropical fruits and tinned asparagus. On the palate, it was quite intense with some
tropical fruit and what felt like a lot of sugar. It had the makings of a southern French
Chenin Blanc but the sweetness was overpowering and dampened what could have
been nice tropical notes, basically making it short fall of the mark. Certainly in the west, sweet wines (not
dessert) are seen as out dated, almost archaic and perhaps this is not the case
in India with consumer’s favouring sweeter white wine styles. It did however prove itself to be a very
useful cooking wine but at the price, around £10, it might seem an extreme
alternative to the usual white table wine.
The second wine was from
Thailand – 100% Colombard made by Monsoon Valley. Colombard is usually used as a filler grape
varietal meaning it is blended with other more aromatic and better tasting
grapes like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc and as such doesn’t have any loud and
flashy flavours. But I admit this wine
was a rather lovely surprise. It didn't make me gag like the Indian Chenin. The nose
was packed with scents of green apples, and unripe peaches and melon. It had a delicious buttery taste on the
palate that lingered on the finish and there was little of the green fruit
coming through too. It wasn’t overly
expressive, which is a quality you would expect from a filler variety such as
Colombard but it was certainly enjoyable.
Something cool, crisp and refreshing, perfect for a summer evening. Yet again the price, around £10 was a little
high (I'd rather spend it on a mini manicure) as there was not enough complexity or intensity of flavours.
My wonderful friend Tom Bicknell, who is equally as
curious and insane as I am tracked down some Mexican wine online. On describing the wine to me, his exact words
were “It tastes of fire and sugar.” Awesome! To
me, this sounds intriguing yet terrifying.
Tasting fire and sugar might be fun but those are not the
characteristics I look for in a wine! But
at £4 a bottle, what have you got to loose!
I’ll definitely be trying it soon since the crazy man has bought a whole case...apparently there was 20% discount when buying in bulk! Lunatic!
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| Sula Vineyards Chenin Blanc (>_<) |
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| Monsoon Valley Colombard |
If you look at the history of
the wine and spirits industry, there are so many cases of what was once thought
of as repugnant or uncool becoming the fashionable drink of the season. Take Japanese whisky. Once considered a bit of a joke by western
whisky connoisseurs, it now enjoys a stellar reputation, with highly sought-after bottlings
from distilleries such as Karuizawa and Hanyu changing hands on the secondary
market for many times their original price.
So, there may be some hope for these developing economies and their wine. And while many wine critics, including my friends and colleagues, think that wines from these emerging economies have a long way to go in terms of style and taste, I think they’ve made a really interesting start. So, if you want to be a hipster trendsetter get on this Asian and Far Eastern wine stuff because I have a feeling this will be the “Next Big Thing”!
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| Suntory Time |
So, there may be some hope for these developing economies and their wine. And while many wine critics, including my friends and colleagues, think that wines from these emerging economies have a long way to go in terms of style and taste, I think they’ve made a really interesting start. So, if you want to be a hipster trendsetter get on this Asian and Far Eastern wine stuff because I have a feeling this will be the “Next Big Thing”!
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